What is the Dallas County Heritage Society?

When the Dallas County Heritage Society formed in 1966, Old City Park, as we know it today, was not a consideration.  The Heritage Society was established to save, and ultimately to restore and preserve, one structure, Millermore, the largest remaining antebellum home in Dallas County.  But from this effort, the first of its kind in Dallas, a significant cultural institution has derived.  With 35 restored structures and four reproductions, the 13 acres of Old City Park are now an American Association of Museums accredited institution.  Old City Park is a museum of architectural and cultural history, interpreting Dallas and North Central Texas, 1840 - 1910.

Old City Park's mission falls into three overlapping categories: preservation, restoration, and education.  Each is dependent upon the others, and each is an important part of the whole.  Without preservation we lose the tangible reminders of our past; restoration reveals the architectural significance of a structure, bringing out the workmanship, intelligence, and beauty of design, whether it be a Victorian home or a country church; education emphasizes the importance of preservation and restoration, using architecture, artifacts, demonstrations, and historical information to enlighten current generations on the struggles and victories of a people who embraced a frontier and developed a city.

In 1996, the Dallas County Heritage Society celebrated its 30th year.